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On this, the 24th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, it is once again time to remember and honor:

• The nuclear accident that occurred at the V.I. Lenin Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the early morning hours of April 26, 1986
• The firefighters who both risked and gave their lives responding to the first calls about explosions and fires at the Chernobyl Plant
• The hundreds of thousands of liquidators who also risked their lives during the clean up operations and Sarcophagus construction following the accident
• The residents of Pripyat, who were unnecessarily put at risk by the Soviet government, which failed to evacuate the city until 36 hours after the accident
• The thousands of people, including liquidators and former Pripyat and Exclusion Zone residents, who continue to suffer adverse health effects due to radiation exposure and contamination from the accident
• The residents of neighboring towns and villages who were also evacuated from their family homes after the accident
• The roughly 250 elderly samosels who moved back to their homes within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and continue living there today

The second half of my interview with former Chernobyl liquidator Sergei B is now online. I have also added an extra paragraph to Part I - I forgot to mention that Sergei wrote a novel about his Chernobyl experiences. Currently, it is only in Russian, but Sergei hopes to translate it to English and publish it in the US. If Sergei is able to get an English-language copy of his story published, I will post all the information here.


Photo: (c) Corbis/Verlag Antje Kunstmann - Liquidators preparing to go on roof of Reactor 3

Earlier this year I conducted an interview with a former liquidator who now lives in the US. In the summer of 1986, Sergei B. spent approximately one and a half months working on cleanup at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. His work included several trips to remove highly radioactive materials from the roof of Reactor 3.

Sergei recently consented to my posting our interview on this site. This two-part interview contains some fascinating revelations about why people volunteered to be liquidators, life as a liquidator in the Chernobyl Zone, life after completing service as a liquidator, and thoughts about the Soviet government’s handling of the accident and nuclear power.

It is my pleasure to present the first half of this two-part interview with a Chernobyl liquidator. Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of this intriguing interview.

Photo: © Igor Kostin/NOVOSTI - Liquidators on the roof of Reactor 3